Dear 2018 Festival Goers and Harp Retreat Students,
You may notice a slight change in our 2018 Festival dates. This year the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival will take place on the third full weekend, from Thursday, September 20, through Sunday, September 23. We’ll have another fun weekend of concerts, sessions, workshops, and demonstrations. We will again have an exciting line-up of instructors and performers, anchored by renowned veterans of the Festival, as well as introductions of young and upcoming superstars. The school-based programs, which seem stronger and more vibrant each year, will also continue in conjunction with the Festival.
The Spanish Peaks Harp Retreat, which normally occurs during the same weekend as the Festival, will this year year take place the weekend following the Festival, the final weekend in September. Under the guidance of founder and director Nancy Joroff, and the Retreat’s Board of Directors, the Retreat now has its own 501(c)(3) non-profit status. thus leaving the umbrella of the festival.
We want to congratulate Nancy for the success of her teaching retreat over the years. It is without a doubt, one of the finest, if not the best of its kind, certainly in the United States. While we are truly sorry to lose the Retreat as part of the Festival, Huerfano County can now claim two distinctive annual Celtic Events of stature. You can now attend events on both weekends! This year’s two key retreat teachers are outstanding harpers: Aine Minogue from Ireland and Sunita Staneslow from Israel. Besides teaching all-day classes, they will be giving a joint concert on Saturday night, September 29.
The Festival and Harp Retreat will both carry links to the other on the websites. You can find it here: http://www.spanishpeaksharpretreat.com/home.html
We wish Nancy Joroff and her Board of Directors great success with their future plans.
The Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival Board
March, 2018
